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Suramar Campaign
The central focus of the Suramar Campaign is establishing a colony of the remaining high elves within the city and possibly in time on the surrounding lands. Interest in the concept peaked as what was a mythical, long taken for ruined elven city came into magnificent view to Dalaran's starboard upon translocation, and set forth as a cautious effort focused much on gaining intelligence and trust among the Crescent Resistance, Shal'dorei opposed to the Legion alliance. As the march towards the inevitable battle for Suramar's liberation draws ever closer, so does the pressure of preventing another elven genocide at the craven hands of Elisande and the Legion. Factions At Play *Crescent Resistance *Burning Legion *Nightguard *Dominion of the Sun *The Will of Dath'Remar Intelligence & Shal'dorei Contact Initial reports of Wretched-like creatures in Azsuna drew confusion, as the arcane source in Suramar City soon identified as the Nightwell appeared stable. The earliest Highguard action related to Suramar was a visit to the Ley Ruins in Azsuna. Most of the Nightfallen and Withered there proved beyond redemption through means available at the time, which consisted chiefly of ancient mana crystals. One of the Nightfallen at the ruins would eventually be come upon showing more restraint than most, not attacking but pleading for help. Stabilized with mana crystals and later arcwine, Fourth Telemancer Kadremis agreed to travel to the nascent underground base at Shal'elah, which makes use of buried Highborne-era structures along the Azsuna-Suramar border to achieve a concealed forward position, located along leyflows favorable for scrying into Suramar. Kadremis would trade his knowledge of the uniquely Shal'dorei telemancy and of the political situation in Suramar City for safe refuge, and access to suitable arcane to prevent withering. Kadremis spoke of a coup against Legion control having failed, and hopes that its leadership survived somewhere. Contact was made through Kadremis' son, Thorel Mathieu, whom unlike his son had not faced exile with an associate alleged to hold links to the resistance movement, and facing persecution for refusing fel injection as was common in the north of Suramar. Morgane Devaux would be forced into exile herself following the retrieval of the Amulet of Ky'lintha and increased attempts on her life in the Court of Stars. Morgane was able to have a small amount of arcwine diverted, though openly a vocal supporter of Grand Magistrix Elisande with her role in tipping the Crescent Resistance of Duskwatch sweeps of the south known to very few, though she'd prove quite valuable in bringing the Quel'dorei up to speed on the affairs of Suramar during and immediately after its long period under the false sky. Devaux also believed key resistance leaders had survived, and efforts were undertaken to assess their possible location by investigation seemingly unnatural leyflow patterns and drawing, leading to investigation of leystations Anora and Kel'balor. The fact the destination of the redirected flows was obscured suggested exiled elves without access to arcwine, though wards preventing divination of the location were deftly woven, it was determined closer to Anora than Kel'balor. The Amberville, Falanaar and Meredil regions were investigated, and while unusually strong ley energies over the ruined temple to Elune in Meredil hinted at a possible location nearby, caution beckoned until a Nightfallen encountered on a seemingly unrelated mission on the academy grounds in Azsuna spoke of needing to reach Shal'aran and willing to trade favorable introductions for aid getting there. In the Meredil region as prior intelligence suggested, the Highguard was introduced to Erona Valtorin whom would come to serve as their principle contact at Shal'aran. Vineyard Despotism Erona branded the hand of each with a Crescent symbol, invisible unless willed to appear, used as a means of identification among the Crescent Resistance and also aiding with providing a Shal'dorei illusion in Suramar City, where they would soon be led. Shal'aran had missed two shipments of arcwine, and stores were running perilously low. The whole dynamic of Grand Magistrix Elisande using a manufactured arcwine shortage and the threat of exile to keep the population in check was well understood at this point, and the urgency understood. Erona directed them to the Crescent tavern in the south of Suramar City via a telemancy link to Shal'aran. The starvation and suffering elves was a staggering site despite the beauty of the city, though the Crescent district residents seemed more accepting of the "pale elves" than was generally the case elsewhere. Their contact at the Waning Crescent, Raylo Songbinder however remained speechless until all displayed their mark, at which point he grew warm and jovial, though going on to explain his arcwine courier had missed two shipments from the marina, and asked the Highguard to investigate. Moving north with caution as illusions are by no means perfect, a crescent-branded associate of the courier reported he'd been seen acting normally, mentioning one of the pleasure boats. She pointed out which one, and after bribing a guard the team was able to reach the boat in question, only to find it empty. Temporal magic was sensed, and the courier's body found concealed in a small-looking chest with a much larger interior. Hurrying back to the Crescent to report what looked to be a dreadlord impostor, a Legion tactic the resistance may not be aware of, Raylo was found jovial, offering cups of wine just delivered by the man they'd found dead. Fortunately the Highguard were cautious in drinking the wine, though Raylo showed no such concern, taking a drink as the threat was explained, he began immediately being drained of all energy, withering before their very eyes. Mana crystals and untainted arcwine were useless against the void-based toxin the Dreadlord had poisoned the wine with, though Raylo was rushed to Shal'aran with a few elves to assure the poisoned wine was not distributed. The casks were intercepted as they were being unpacked, and the damage mitigated. Raylo found an odd solace in the Arcan'dor tree, and was taken in by elves at Shal'aran seemingly training Withered. Sabariel Dawnbreaker focused on tracking down the Dreadlord in question, later identified as Varenastus, and reported his meeting with Ruben Stelleris prior to her assassination of the demonic infiltrator. Though of a minor cadet line, House Stelleris were staunch loyalists, and utterly brutal. A separate operation was prepared the next day to eliminate Ruben via infiltrating the Court of Stars from underwater and moving through stairs and back alleys. Erona mentioned the Stelleris holding a large cache of arcwine, and ask the Highguard deliver what they could. Eventually coercing a guard to provide Ruben's location, where he was found deep in a fel divination, non responsive to the calls of his guards, presumably alarmed at the disappearance of the Nathrezim Varenastus and the fact there hadn't been a mass withering in the south as the plan called for. Though reaching Stelleris and getting past his guards would prove challenging, the depth of the divination trance made his elimination the simplest part of the task, and the arcwine recovered from his cellar was teleported to Shal'aran ahead of the return team. Erona would receive word of Ruben's death and moreso his arcwine cache, as welcome news, though the crackdown on the southern districts of Suramar City would only grow stricter, with malcontent beginning to fester. Unrest at the Waning Crescent While the Stelleris haul provided arcwine to Shal'aran, the crackdown in Suramar City soon intensified, with Erona Valtorin reporting that she hadn't received word in two days, and then there was some commotion. Entilzha Firesong and a Highguard team went to investigate via the telemancy pad at Shal'aran. The desperate wretches on the streets were more numerous, and the team did what they could to help them with ancient mana and other temporary sources. The area outside the Crescent was the scene of sporadic violence, with desperate elves accusing each other and the tavern of keeping arcwine from them. A young Shal'dorei woman later introduced as Auriville was attempt to keep back five from the tavern with a broom. The Highguard used polymorphs and other such means to calm them and help her get inside and seal the door. Noting she was looking at hands, Entilzha briefly flashed his Crescent-marked hand, which brought ease to Auriville, whom displayed the same mark. As all were checked she spoke of an intensified crackdown and rationing, and without a new arcwine courier, things were desperate as was seen. To immediately ease the situation, the Highguard moved in Shal'dorei guise to the Evermoon Bazaar, and in a ruse with archers on the rooftops keeping watch, created a number of small distractions to draw the attention of the Duskwatch and enable the quick teleportation of five stacked casks, which were then moved to the interior of the Crescent via a mobile telemancy beacon. Auriville was relieved though requested the Highguard stay the night to assure order was kept in distributing the wine. She also needed time to investigate where an elf named Maelynn may be located, as suggested by Erona she'd access to the vineyards and having lost a child to the abductions, loathed Elisande and the Legion. New Links With the situation at the Crescent calmer, though security at the bazaar even further heightened, a new courier via the vineyards was an utter necessity. From speaking with her contacts, Maelynn had last been seen near the Terrace of Order, and the Highguard team at the Waning Crescent began work on a plan to safely locate her the next day, as providing security for the tavern, which had a temporary, hopefully not fleeting, sense of normalcy with the arcwine from the bazaar able to bring calm for the time. A Highguard presence at the Waning Crescent throughout the two days of planning also saw new connections made. Among them was the energetic orphan boy Aurélien and the Gondolier Estelle. Estelle was highly appreciate and offered use of her boat for arcwine shipments and personnel transport, an offer that was readily accepted and incorporated into plans being formulated. With Maelynn spotted entering a house just off the Terrace of Order two days ago which Aurivelle knew had sheltered elves in the crackdown following the coup, one of apparently many such safe houses apparently existing throughout Suramar, the Highguard team was positioned to act, moving north from the Waning Crescent telemancy location an slipping into the Shimmershade Gardens from the south. Maelynn was found in the house adjacent to the Terrace of Order, sick in an upstairs bed from lack of arcwine, no others present in the house. Vortaria offered her some wine, and after verification Maelynn reported that she was being persecuted by House Perigord, a Stelleris ally and every bit as brutal and fond of picking on Lady Lunastre's supporters and retainers. Maelynn reported that Perigord had taken all three of her young daughters, and that they were held within the Sanctum of Order. Weary about approaching the heavily guarded entrance under illusion, two far ahead of the rest entered first, so that in the event of exposure, the rest of the team would be concealed. However reports from others operating in the city spoke of passing through the Sanctums without incident, and with seemingly trivial, nonsensical banter, each made it inside. Instead of taking telemancy pads leading up, the team came to a lower stairwell where the guard presence thinned. Seeing a number of unused cells in an area below, investigation found one with the three girls, another with four other children. As the matter of the wards was pondered, Lord Perigord and his guards attacked, claiming luring the "pale elves" here was his intent, and that Elisande would honor him for their heads. The guards were able to inflict a number of serious wounds to the Highguard during the course of the battle, but their Lord proved lackluster and fell under focused fire. One guard whom likely regretted using the term "lowborne" to refer to his adversaries tried to flee, but was blocked with a polymorph. The others, both wounded were surrounded, and ordered to lower the wards or face immediate death. As the wards around each cell came down, the guards were tranquilized. Fourth Telemancer Kadremis was able to evacuate the team, the seven children and three captives via a telemancy pad on that lower level of the Sanctum, pulling them into Shal'aran. Instead of bringing the children back near the Terrace, Entilzha returned and quickly sought out Maelynn with a mobile telemancy beacon configured for Shal'aran. Overjoyed to be reunited with her daughters, the threat against her at its end, Maelynn vowed to do all she could regarding arcwine shipments, with a scheme devised in which she would utilize the mobile telemancy beacon, which requires a day or so between teleports, to deliver daily shipments directly to Shal'aran, where it could then be moved to the Crescent, as opposed to the reverse which had proven problematic. While the details still need to be finalized, but Maelynn had long served Lady Lunastre and transported her arcwine, and her face around the Vineyards is not seen as out of the norm, especially with Lord Perigord slain, his guards shipped off to The Arshaz, an astral dimension designed to serve as a prison for demons and demonic souls. Given their Legion affiliation, the Duskwatch prisoners were transferred there to learn the true face of their "allies". For security reasons the Arshaz mostly contains demonic souls, with only a small number of intact demons being held. These demons surrounded the cells the Duskwatch prisoners were placed in, and while they're being given time to adjust to their new home, its hoped that they'll be rather forthcoming with information given the extremely harsh nature of the Arshaz where even time itself is unbearable, designed to flow at a choppy, irregular pace, making a seemingly simple task as standing near impossible without proper shielding. With seven children saved, and three captives taken on top of achieving the primary mission objective of restoring a steady flow of arcwine to the Resistance, this act was viewed as a general success and did much to solidify relations between the Highguard and the Crescent Resistance. The operation is also noteworthy as the last undertaken by Vortaria Ara'lith, whom had been deeply involved in efforts in Suramar alongside Entilzha Firesong virtually unstopped since their arrival on the Broken Isles. Taria would withdraw from combat operations upon the revelation she was pregnant, warm news for herself and Entilzha in otherwise bleak times. Vortaria would continue to support efforts from behind the scenes, and her mother Misandra took on her role in combat operations going forward. The Journey Home Continues..... Category:Story Category:Suramar Campaign